Car Hire Florida

[Kimashem]

Hi can anyone help with some info.

I am looking to hire a care with Dollar for only 3 days. I would like to pick it up from Miami airport, drive to Key West for a few days and drop it off at Fort Lauderdale as we are picking up cruise ship from here.

It it feasible to do this and dont know the distance involved from each place. Could we be dropped of at the dock and then my husband take car back and get [bad language filtered out]tle bus. If we keep all luggage with us is this a good idea as I have no idea as to where the drop off point for the car is situated. From reading your points I guess the gold package would be better from a fuel point of view?

Anyone any ideas on this

thanks

[ellie]

Hi Kimashem

Welcome to the forum.

Yes, it is quite possible to do the sort of car hire you are suggesting. Miami is 129 miles from Key West, and it takes about 3-31/2 hours to get there - the road through the Keys is rather slow as it is single track with speed restrictions.

The Dollar Depot is not onsite at Miami. You will have to pick up a shuttle bus from just outside the terminal doors to take you there, but it is quite easy. You can then drop the car off at Fort Lauderdale before picking up your cruise.

Here you need to drop the car off at Fort Lauderdale International Airport, as there is no drop-off point at Port Everglades. You then take a shuttle to the docks from just outside the Car Hire building. We don't normally bother with this but just walk across to the main terminal building and get a taxi. This is far quicker, and less hassle as the shuttle buses can get very full and will drop everyone off at all the different ships first, so you may have a long wait before you get to your ship.

I would suggest keeping together with all your luggage, as if you decide to drop the car off in the morning it could take a while for your husband to get back to the airport, whilst you are left on the dockside - you cannot board without him as you will need to check-in together, and you will just have to stand about in the heat. Also, at peak times it can take a while to get back into the dock as security is tight and they will check documentation - we had to show passports at the dock gates.

Once at the port, the porters will take your cases off you and the next time you see them will be outside your cabin.

Fort Lauderdale is approximately 20 miles from Miami, and is reached via the I-95. It is normally a quick and easy journey, depending on time of day and traffic conditions - peak times do get very heavily congested.

Do make sure you allow plenty of time to get to Fort Lauderdale as if you are late the ship will not wait for you, and there would be nothing more disappointing than to see your ship sailing away without you. I would suggest coming back to Fort Lauderdale the day before and checking into a hotel near the Port. Then you can have a relaxing evening and join the ship the next day. We normally get rid of the car the night before so we can get a taxi to the port the next day. You can board soon after 12.00 pm and there will normally be lunch laid on for you in one of the buffet restaurants, depending on which ship you are going on. Many hotels offer free shuttles in the morning to the port, so there really is no point keeping the car overnight as all you will do is get up, have breakfast and make your way to the port, and if you add in a trip to the airport to drop off the car you are just making it more difficult for yourselves. Taxis are very reasonable, anyway.

I have written several articles on this subject to take a look in the Florida Guide. Here are the titles of some of them:

What to expect when you embark on a cruise ship
Picking up a cruise in Fort Lauderdale
Collecting and Returning Your Car to Miami International Airport
Driving through the Keys
Car Hire at Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport

Hope you have a great time![msncool]